Stepney: Jose right to stick with Romero

JOSE Mourinho has made the right call naming Sergio Romero as his Europa League final goalkeeper.

That’s the view of United legend Alex Stepney.

Stepney was Sir Matt Busby’s keeper in the 1968 European Cup final when the Reds beat Benfica 4-1, but had played all but one of United’s 54 games that season.

Jimmy Rimmer came in as his deputy for one match at Fulham in April.

But times have changed and Mourinho has freshened up his side with Argentine Romero playing in 11 of United’s 14-match trek to Sweden.

Considering David de Gea’s outstanding form for numerous seasons – and again this year – it was a major decision by the Reds boss. But Stepney has no argument about choosing the 30-yearold South American above the Spaniard.

“It is a big shout but a great one and the right one by the manager,” Stepney told M.E.N. Sport.

“It’s a squad game these days and you have to use it. This is Sergio Romero’s trophy and having played the bulk of the games in the competition, it would have been wrong to play De Gea.

“If Romero had made some mistakes then it would be a different matter. There wouldn’t really have been a decision to make. But he has been as good as De Gea. I cannot recall any major errors. He’s been consistent.

“He has never United down and it is right to have faith in him. It is very difficult when you are the Number Two goalkeeper because so often they don’t get that many matches. Mourinho has handled it well because he has given Romero a number of games. More than most deputy keepers in the past probably.

“Could you imagine if he hadn’t played and then De Gea was injured in the run up to the final. let That could have been costly. But you now have a goalkeeper match fit, in form, confident and the players around him know his game well. “I like him as a goalkeeper as well. I think he gives the defence confidence. There is no ‘shall I come out, or shan’t I’ about him. He attacks the ball. His teammates know they can rely on him. He’s a good shot-stopper.” Stepney also believes Mourinho might take a leaf out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book. In the 2004 FA Cup final against Millwall, Ferguson chose Tim Howard ahead of Roy Carroll. Carroll had played 11 matches in that campaign, including the semifinal against Arsenal. But Ferguson brought Carroll on as a sub late in the match. “I thought that was a great gesture,” Stepney says. “But you have to be winning the game quite comfortably to be able to do it.”